Immune Response of Patients Following Thoracoscopic Lobectomy Along With Bilateral Transcervical Mediastinal Lymphadenectomy and Patients Receiving VATSLOB Together With Standard Unilateral Mediastinal Lymphadenectomy

Any kind of anatomical lung resection for lung cancer with curative intent has to be accompanied by formal mediastinal lymph node dissection. Video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy through a cervical access (VAMLA) along with thoracoscopic lobectomies in the same setting offers improved radicality through bilateral mediastinal dissection, provide accurate staging, does not require single lung ventilation and hence ideally supports the concept of minimally invasive surgery.

Due to the VAMLA associated radicality, the investigator believes that using VAMLA along with lobectomy could improve the oncological outcome of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, the absence of single lung ventilation during VAMLA could attenuate the surgically induced immunosuppression.

The present study aims at:

1. The current project primarily aims at identifying the effect of reduced single lunge ventilation time during VAMLA-VATS lobectomy on the intraoperative production of oxygen radicals as well as its effect on the immune competence of patients undergoing VAMLA-VATS lobectomy as compared to those receiving VATS lobectomy Along with conventional unilateral lymphadenectomy.
2. Secondary, in line with the hypothesis that radical bilateral lymphadenectomy might results in a more complete oncological staging as compared to unilateral lymphadenectomy or lymph node sampling. The current project aims to compare the pre- and postoperative staging in patients undergoing VAMLA, as VAMLA enables a proper examination of all bilateral mediastinal lymph nodes.
3. Patient Follow-up will be continued for at least 5 years postoperatively in order to compare the oncological outcome namely local and distant recurrence, tumor-associated and overall survival in patients undergoing VAMLA-VATS Lobectomy as compared to those with VATS lobectomy. This issue is, however, a second endpoint of this study and will be independent of the primary endpoint.